Brandon Clarke
Have you ever noticed riders like Eli Tomac slipping earplugs in before slapping their helmets on or yanking them out just before a podium interview? I have. And every time, my curiosity whispers, “Why, though?”
I’ve used earplugs while shooting trackside at Pro Motocross—standing there as bikes scream by, making you feel like you are front row at a heavy metal concert with Derek Rankin, crew chief of ISRT Kawasaki and full-blown metalhead. But as a proud, card-carrying member of the plus-40 vet rider club, I’ve never worn earplugs while riding. Why? Because I like to hear the chaos—the panic revs, the misplaced shifts, the sound of someone else’s sketchy mistake giving me just enough time to dodge. And if you’re like me, you enjoy lugging a tall gear around the track and listening to your bike grunt like a champ.
Still, my curiosity got the better of me last weekend, so I tracked down Freddie Noren, #33 on the ISRT Kawasaki team, to get his take on earplugs.
Turns out, Freddie’s been plugging up since 2017. His theory? It’s all about focus. “You know when you’re bumping music in your car, and you go to park in a tight space? First thing you do is turn the music down,” he said, casually dropping a wisdom bomb that had me nodding. “You can still hear riders around you, but they’ve got to be a bit closer—not sketchy close, but close enough.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but the idea of muffling the rev monsters buzzing around the track does sound appealing—especially if it means fewer panic-rev-induced heart attacks.
Freddie explained that earplugs help him stay calm by tuning out the noise, letting him focus on his breathing, and keeping his heart rate low. When I asked if that gave him a performance edge, he dodged the claim like a pro avoiding lap traffic. But let’s be real: if you think something helps you ride better, you are probably going to do it. Whether it’s earplugs or your lucky socks, we all need our edge.
Freddie did admit it took a few days to get used to riding with earplugs. But now? He won’t ride without them. Ever. “Backups on backups on backups,” he said. His mechanic, Bailey Edsell, carries more than a half a dozen pairs at all times in his backpack—just in case. And Freddie’s go-to? The CVS orange foam plugs with a noise reduction rating of 32 decibels. Not custom, not bougie. Just good ol pharmacy-grade foam.
Apparently, Freddie finds the CVS plugs comfier than custom ones. They’re soft enough for all-day use at the practice track—though they can make for some awkward moments with Brandon Haas, owner of ClubMX. When Haas is dishing out wisdom, Freddie’s glassy-eyed stare isn’t from deep thought—it’s because he can’t hear a word. Bailey has to shout the message before the next practice session.
But hey, they work. Freddie says they cut out the noise just enough so that if someone panic revs at you, you’ll still hear it. But if someone yells? Good luck.
Fun fact: Earlier in the day, Freddie was filming sponsor content and had to ride back and forth in the pits without earplugs. He said it was wildly uncomfortable and couldn’t believe how loud his bike was. “It just didn’t feel right,” he admitted, shaking his head.
So, what’s the verdict? For Freddie, the biggest advantage is focus. The plugs block the chaos and let him zero in on his breathing and the feel of the bike. And for around $15 at CVS, earplugs might just be the cheapest performance upgrade out there.
Who knows, maybe next time you hit the track, you’ll find yourself riding smoother, calmer, and a whole lot less sketchy. Or, like me, you’ll stick to the chaos because the sound of whisky throttle Jerry panic-revving behind you is the only warning you’ve got.
Images: Brandon Clarke
